5. KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER
One of the films I somehow managed to get into at Sundance back in January, Kumiko the Treasure Hunter immediately became one of my favorites of the year. Following the story of Kumiko (played by the awesome Rinko Kikuchi) as a Japanese woman who is just a little off, isolates herself from people, and decides to pick up and move to Minnesota in search for the treasure that Steve Buscemi's character buried in the movie Fargo. The film makers call it a true story based on a fictional story, and that is actually kind of interesting. Evidently, there has been an urban legend of a Japanese woman actually doing this, but no one seems to have any actual factual evidence that it did. Still, this film is both funny and heartbreaking all at once, and it is largely made great by a killer performance by Kikuchi. It gets a wider release in 2015, so look out for it.
Director: David Zellner (Goliath)
Starring: Rinko Kikuchi
4. SNOWPIERCER
One of the more polarizing films of the year, Joon-ho Bong's first Western film either clicks for you or it doesn't, it seems. By no means a perfect movie, Bong's dystopian future on a perpetually moving train depicts class disparity at its worst. It goes between feeling epic and beautiful to dark and claustrophobic brilliantly. It does include some of his staple strange humor. And of course, it's only aided by the inclusion of two of my favorite actors - Chris Evans and Kang-ho Song. It's weird and entertaining and at times really wants you to translate a meaning for yourself. It's also one of those films that clearly doesn't care about some plot holes. It's about something more than the little things, and either you buy into the premise from the start or you don't. It isn't trying to cater to the more logical film viewers in the audience, which is something I genuinely appreciate. It's telling that Snowpiercer is not even close to the best of Joon-ho Bong's films, but it's still great and makes my top five list. But be warned: it's not for everyone. If you can't get beyond "this plot is stupid" from the get-go, you'll miss everything he's saying. Which is a bit unfortunate that a lot of Western movie goers don't like those sort of surrealist stories anymore.
Director: Joon-ho Bong (Mother, The Host, Memoirs of a Murder)
Starring: Chris Evans, Kang-ho Song, Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Octavia Spencer
3. THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA
Famed Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata returns about a dozen years after his last film My Neighbors the Yamadas with a touching, gorgeous, and somewhat depressing tale. Based on the Japanese folk tale of a young girl born of bamboo and grows quickly into a beautiful princess, we see her quickly fall from fun-loving girl to subdued and controlled young lady. Her father forces her to behave a certain way against her will, to act more "lady-like," which sucks the life out of Kaguya. It's a beautiful and sad story filled with unique and powerful art. While not as hard to watch as Takahata's classic The Grave of the Fireflies, it's still a sad film with an ambiguous ending.
Director: Isao Takahata (The Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko, My Neighbors the Yamadas)
Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, James Caan, Lucy Lui, Beau Bridges
2. THE SKELETON TWINS
Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig are two of the best SNL cast members in a long time, so it's easy to go into The Skeleton Twins expecting an outrageous comedy. While there are plenty of laughs and genuinely heartwarming moments, it's anything but. Hader and Wiig play estranged siblings reconnecting in the aftermath of one of their attempted suicides. As they struggle to establish a bond that was once very strong, we see them both unintentionally sabotaging themselves and their lives. The film meanders through touching moments of sibling bonding and the dark world of depression of people unhappy with their lives. Few films felt as honest to me as The Skeleton Twins, both in the way it handles its drama and in the way the siblings grow together and form a very natural relationship. Undoubtedly, it is Hader and Wiig who make this film, really being able to show off their acting range. Plus, there is one epic lip sync scene.
Director: Craig Johnson (True Adolescence)
Starring: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell
1. BIRDMAN
I've gone into detail about why I love this movie elsewhere on the blog (it's not too far below), but everything about the film clicked for me. I loved the meta aspect of the film, with Michael Keaton basically playing an exaggerated form of Michael Keaton, and that the film is all shot to look like one continuous shot, resembling a play. Additionally, it's strange and dark humor was spot on, it's omnipresent drum added to the chaos, and the surreal moments of insanity keeps the film feeling fresh and gives it a strong forward momentum. Plus, you have to love the commentary about the state of the film industry and the stage. It's been a long time since a film has been nominated for all sorts of awards that I truly felt I understood the hype. Birdman is certainly deserving of it.
Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (21 Grams, Babel, Biutiful)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts
So that's it. The top ten films this year (according to some dude on the internet). Just to sum up, the list looks like this:
10. Godzilla
9. Ida
8. The LEGO Movie
7. Force Majeure
6. The One I Love
5. Kumiko the Treasure Hunter
4. Snowpiercer
3. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
2. The Skeleton Twins
1. Birdman
So. What's your list?
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